Superconductor Article with Directional Flux Pinning

Abstract

A method and composition for doped HTS tapes having directional flux pinning and critical current.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A superconducting tape structure comprising:
 a substrate;   an overlying buffer; and   a superconductor, wherein the superconductor has a critical current retention factor greater than about 90% when a magnetic field of about 0.1 T is applied about parallel to the tape.   
     
     
         2 . The superconducting tape of  claim 1  wherein the superconductor comprises at least one rare-earth metal chosen from the group consisting of Gd, Y, Sm, Nd, Eu, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb. 
     
     
         3 . The superconducting tape of  claim 2 , wherein the superconductor comprises a ratio of at least 1.5 total rare-earth metals to at least 3 copper. 
     
     
         4 . The superconducting tape of  claim 3 , wherein the rare-earth metals content comprises a combination of Sm and Y. 
     
     
         5 . The superconducting tape of  claim 3 , wherein the rare-earth metals content comprises a combination of Gd and Y. 
     
     
         6 . The superconducting tape of  claim 5 , further comprising a ratio of Gd to Y of about 1:1. 
     
     
         7 . The superconducting tape of  claim 2 , comprising at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of Zr, Ta, Hf, Sn, Nb, Ti and Ce. 
     
     
         8 . The superconducting tape of  claim 7 , wherein the superconductor comprises a dopant to copper ratio of at least about 0.05 dopant to at least about 3 copper. 
     
     
         9 . The superconducting tape of  claim 7 , wherein the dopant comprises Zr. 
     
     
         10 . The superconducting tape of  claim 1 , wherein the superconductor is a conductor formed by metal organic chemical vapor deposition fabrication. 
     
     
         11 . The superconducting tape of  claim 1 , wherein the superconducting tape comprises a critical current retention factor greater than about 50% when a magnetic field of about 0.5 T is applied about parallel to the superconductor. 
     
     
         12 . The superconducting tape of  claim 1 , wherein the superconducting tape comprises a critical current retention factor greater than about 30% when a magnetic field of about 1 T is applied about parallel to the superconducting tape. 
     
     
         13 . The superconducting tape of  claim 12 , wherein the superconducting tape comprises a critical current retention factor greater than about 15% when a magnetic field of about 1 T is applied about perpendicular to the tape. 
     
     
         14 . A superconductor structure comprising:
 a substrate;   an overlying buffer; and   a superconductor, wherein the superconductor has a critical current retention factor greater than about 50% when a magnetic field of about 0.5 T is applied about parallel to the superconductor.   
     
     
         15 . The superconductor structure of  claim 14 , wherein the superconductor comprises at least one rare-earth metal chosen from the group consisting of Gd, Y, Sm, Nd, Eu, Dy, Ho, Er and Yb;
 and wherein the superconductor comprises a ratio of total rare-earth metals content to copper content of at least 1.5 total rare-earth metals to at least 3 copper.   
     
     
         16 . The superconductor structure of  claim 15 , wherein the rare-earth metals content comprises of a combination of Sm and Y or Gd and Y. 
     
     
         17 . The superconductor structure of  claim 16 , wherein the ratio Gd and Y comprises a ratio of about 1 Gd to about 1Y. 
     
     
         18 . The superconductor structure of  claim 14 , wherein the superconductor comprises at least one dopant selected from the group consisting of Zr, Ta, Hf, Sn, Nb, Ti and Ce; and wherein the dopant content to copper content ratio comprises at least about 0.05 dopant to at least about 3 copper. 
     
     
         19 . The superconductor structure of  claim 18 , wherein the dopant comprises Zr. 
     
     
         20 . The superconductor structure of  claim 14 , wherein the superconductor comprises a critical current retention factor greater than about 30% when a magnetic field of about 1 T is applied about parallel to the superconducting tape. 
     
     
         21 . The superconductor structure of  claim 20 , wherein the superconductor comprises a critical current retention factor greater than about 15% when a magnetic field of about 1 T is applied about perpendicular to the tape.